Kraken Signs as FIFA World Cup Sponsor, Meme Tokens Return

Two days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America, FIFA named Kraken the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter for the event. The partnership, announced June 9, targets fan experiences in North America and Europe. It arrives as athlete-linked tokens and football-adjacent digital assets resurface.

Croatia midfielder Luka Modrić, 40, is heading toward his fifth World Cup and possibly his 200th international cap. Several Solana-based meme tokens referencing Modrić have emerged in recent days. One carries a market cap of roughly $98K with trading volume under $200.

This is not FIFA’s first blockchain move. Avalanche already serves as the governing body’s dedicated blockchain layer for digital initiatives. Chiliz, through Socios.com, powers national-team fan tokens that let holders vote on polls and earn rewards tied to their squads. Adding Kraken creates a multi-layered crypto infrastructure around the tournament.

Modrić has dabbled in digital assets before. In February 2022, he released a four-piece NFT collection on Ethernity Chain featuring metaverse-wearable jerseys.

The Solana-based meme tokens bearing his name are a different category. They are community-generated speculative instruments riding the attention around a major sporting event. A $98K market cap and negligible volume signal where they sit on the legitimacy spectrum.

For Chiliz and its CHZ token, the expanded 48-team format brings more national teams and more fan token communities. More polling events and engagement loops follow.

The risk side is clear. Football-themed tokens have historically been boom-bust instruments. The 2021-2022 cycle saw fan tokens from Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona spike on hype before losing most of their value. Investors chasing athlete meme tokens with sub-$100K market caps during a World Cup attention wave should know what they are signing up for: high volatility and thin liquidity with no fundamental backing.